Roller pressers for seaming machines



May 22, 1956 H. HACKLANDER 2,746,750

ROLLER PRESSERS FDR SEAMING MACHINES Filed May 23, 1952 IN V EN TOR. Hon/1s Hacklemder WYYWESS BY ATTORNEY United States Patent ROLLER PRESSERS non SEAMING MACHINES Hans Hacklander, South Sterling, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 23, 1952, Serial No. 289,687

Claims. (Cl. 271-23) The present invention relates to roller-presser means opposed to a work feeding member of a seaming machine, and has for a primary object to provide an improved means for adjusting a roller-Presser laterally of the feeding member, and for pivoting the roller-presser to an inoperative position.

During operation of a seaming machine, the work is customarily fed past the seaming mechanism by means of a feeding member generally located below a worksupport and projecting thereabove at the point where it is desired to effect the feeding action; and to hold the work against the feed member, there is usually provided a presser device. To obtain the most effective feeding action, the feeding member is located as closely as possible to the seaming mechanism and the roller-presser is usually journaled on an inclined axis and provided with a beveled work-contacting peripheral surface so as to present a horizontal face which is parallel to the horizontal work-contacting face of the feeding member.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention is equally applicable to electronic bonding machines and to sewing machines. When a roller-presser is used with either of these types of machines, it is desirable to provide adjustments therefor so that it can be accurately alined with the feeding member. It also becomes necessary at times to adjust the position of the feeding member with respect to the lower seaming mechanism, such as in the case of a bonding machine where changing from thin work to thick work which requires higher voltages to produce a strong seam increases the tendency to arc between the lower electrode and the feeding member, which is usually metallic, and the distance between them must be correspondingly adjusted. In addition, it is normally necessary to provide means for swinging the roller-presser to an inoperative position and to a position which will permit ready access to the upper seaming element.

It will also be clear that it is necessary, in order to obtain the most effective feeding, to have the peripheral surface of the roller-presser always maintained in parallel relationship with the work-contacting face of the feeding member despite any lateral adjustments thereof, otherwise only a portion of the work-contacting surfaces will be in engagement with the work. Heretofore, it has been the practice to hinge the rollerresser on an axis in line with the direction of feed and to eifectlateral adjustment of the rollerresser about this axis which, of course, causes it to rotate with respect to the feeding mechanism and thus destroys the parallel relationship between the work-contacting surfaces of the feed membet and the rollerresser.

In accordance with the above, it is a specific object of the present invention to provide a novel means that will permit lateral adjustment of a roller-presser which will not disturb the parallel relationship between the work-contacting surfaces of the roller-Presser and the feeding member.

It is a further object of the present invention to pro- 2,746,750 Patented May 22, 1956 ice vide a new and improved means for swinging a rollerpresser to an inoperative position and which will also readily combine with the novel lateral adjustment means to produce an eflicient but economical and dependable construction.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of this disclosure, a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art to readily understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a roller-presser constructed in accordance with the present invention mounted upon a bonding machine, parts of which machine are broken away and parts of which are in section.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation view on a larger scale of the rollerresser mounted upon a presser-bar.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section View taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Although not specifically limited thereto, as hereinbefore mentioned, the rollerresser which has been selected to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown as used with an electronic bonding machine such as disclosed in the U. S. patent of Hacklander, No. 2,432,412, December 9, 1947. The illustrated portions of the machine include a head 1 carrying a suitable bearing 2 in which a-vertically disposed electrode-bar 3 is mounted for lengthwise sliding movement. Secured to the lower end of the electrodebar 3, by any suitable means, is an upper electrode 4 which is adapted to cooperate with an L-shaped lower electrode 5 mounted upon an insulated block 6, as by screws 7, which block 6 is fastened to the under side of the bed 8 of the machine in any suitable manner. There is provided the usual plate 9 for supporting the work W and having a slot 1%} therein through which the electrode 5 extends, and also having a second slot 11 through which extends a feed-wheel 12.

Opposed to the feed-wheel 12 is a roller-presser, generally designated 13 and including a presser-wheel 14 journaled on a stud-axle 15 carried by the end of an arm 16. As will be understood, the axle 15 comprises a screw extending through the wheel 14, threaded through a suitable aperture in the arm 16 and held by a lock-nut 17.

At the end opposite that which carries the axle 15, the arm 16 is provided with a rectangularly-shaped rib 18 that enters a corresponding .slot 19 in a block or shank 2tl which is provided with a U-shaped portion that is adapted to partially surround the lower end of a conventional presser-bar 21 slidable longitudinally in a suitable bearing 22 carried by the head 1, and to be secured to the bar 21 by the usual screw 23. Extending through a bore formed in the block 20 normal to the bottom surface of the slot 19 and centrally thereof and a similar bore formed in a sleeve-like extension 24 of the block 20 is a guide-rod 25 having a head 26 at one end and a threaded reduced portion 27 at the other end, which end 27 is extended through an appropriately tapped bore formed in the arm 16 centrally of the rib 18. A lock-nut 28 is threaded onto the exposed portion of the end 27 of the guide-rod 25.

interposed between the head 26 of the guide-rod 25 and the block 20, and surrounding the sleeve-like extension 24, is a spring 29 which thus serves to resiliently hold the rib 18 in the slot 19 and consequently locks the arm 16 with respect to the block 29. By applying force to the head 26 of the guide-rod 25 in the direction of the arrow A, the rod 25, the arm 16 and wheel 14 are moved laterally as a unit against the action of the spring 29 and thus the rib 18 is disengaged from the slot 19, whereupon the arm 16 is free to be rotated to the dotted line position of Fig. 1, which represents the inoperative position of the wheel. The arm 16 can be readily depressed again into the normal position of the wheel, wherein the spring 29 will urge the rib 18 into the slot 19 and thus again lock the elements. To facilitate moving the wheel 14 to its inoperative position, the spring 29 is preferably torsionally wound and the ends thereof embedded in apertures 30 and 31 formed respectively in the head 26 and block 20, as seen in Fig. 3. Thus, when force is applied at A to disengage the rib 18 from the slot 19, the spring 29 will cause the guide-rod 24 to rotate and automatically swing the wheel 14 to its inoperative position. The wheel is moved to its normal position against the torsional resistance of the spring.

To adjust the resser-wheel 14 laterally of the feedwheel 12, there is provided an adjusting screw 32 threaded through an upstanding portion of the arm 16 and adapted to bear against the face of the block 20. A lock-nut 33 serves to secure the screw 32 in the desired position. Rotation of the screw 32 will effect a horizontal micrometer adjustment of the rib 18 in the slot 19, whereby the lateral setting of presser-wheel 14 with respect to the feed-wheel 12 may be controlled. It will also be noted that the initially set parallel relationship between the work contacting faces .of the resser-Wheel 14 and feedwheel 12 is preserved despite any lateral adjustments of the wheel 14.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to a preferred embodiment of my invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation thereof. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of my invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A roller-presser mechanism for a seaming machine having a resser-bar, said mechanism comprising a body portion, means for securing said body portion to said presser-bar, an arm rotatably carried by said body portion on a horizontal axis and having limited lateral translation with respect to said body portion, a rollerresser journaled in said arm on an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said arm, means for adjusting said arm lat-.

erally of its axis of rotation, and latch means for locking the arm in operative position against rotation relative to said body portion, said latch means being engaged and disengaged by said lateral translation.

2. A rollerresser mechanism for a seaming machine having a presser-bar, said mechanism comprising a body portion, means for securing said body portion to said resser-bar, an arm rotatably carried by said body portion on a horizontal axis and having limited lateral translation with respect to said body portion, a rollerresser journaled in said arm, and latch means for locking the arm in operative position against rotation relative to said body portion, said latch means being engaged and disengaged by said lateral translation, and a spring for urging said arm in that direction of lateral translation with respect to said body portion to engage said latch means, said spring being torsionally stressed and the ends thereof being fixed to said body portion and arm respectively to urge said arm to rotate with respect to said body portion toward inoperative position.

3. In a seaming machine having seaming mechanism, a presser-bar, and a Work-supporting surface, a rollerpresser mechanism comprising a body portion, means for securing said body portion to said presser-bar, an arm rotatably carried by said body portion on an axis parallel to said work-supporting surface and transverse to the line of seam formation and being mounted for lateral translation relative to said body portion, a presserroller journaled in said arm, releasable latch means for normally locking said arm against rotation in operative position, and adjustable means for determining the position of said arm .in lateral translation.

4. In a seaming mechanism having a work-supporting surface, a presser-bar operating above said work-supporting surface, and a feeding mechanism including a feedwheel journaled on an axis beneath said work-supporting surface, a roller-presser mechanism comprising a body portion, means for securing said body portion to said presser-bar, an arm rotatably carried by said body portion on an axis parallel to the axis of said feed-wheel and being mounted for lateral translation relative to said body portion, a presser-roller journaled in said arm, releasable latch means for normally locking said arm against rotation in operative position, and adjustable means for determining the position of said arm in lateral translation.

5. A rollerresser mechanism for a seaming machine having seaming mechanism and a presser-bar, said mechanism comprising a body portion, means for securing said body portion to said resser-bar, an arm rotatably carried by said body portion on an axis transverse to the axis of said presser-bar and transverse to the line of seam formation and being mounted for lateral translation relative to said body portion, a presser-roller journaled in said arm, releasable latch means for normally locking said arm against rotation in operative position, and adjustable means for determining the position of said arm in lateral translation.

6. In a seaming mechanism having a work-supporting surface, a presser-bar operative above said work-supporting surface, and a feeding mechanism including a feedwheel journaled on an axis beneath said work-supporting surface, a roller-presser mechanism comprising a body portion, means for securing said body portion to said presser-bar, an arm rotatably carried by said body portion on an axis parallel to the axis of said feed-wheel and being mounted for lateral translation relative to said body portion, a presser-roller journaled in said arm, releasable latch means for normally locking said arm against rotation in operative position, and adjustable means for determining the position of said arm in lateral translation, said adjustable means comprising an adjustable stop and a spring urging said arm in that direction of lateral translation in which said stop is effective to limit the lateral translation thereof.

7. In a seaming mechanism having a work-supporting surface, a presser-bar operating above said work-supporting surface, and a feeding mechanism including a feedwheel journaled on an axis beneath said work-supporting surface, a roller-presser mechanism comprising a body portion, means for securing said body portion to said presser-bar, an arm rotatably carried by said body portion on an axis parallel to the axis of said feed-wheel and being mounted for lateral translation relative to said body portion, a resser-roller journaled in said arm, releasable latch means for normally locking said arm against rotation in operative position, and adjustable means for determining the position of said arm in lateral translation, said adjustable means comprising an adjustable stop and a spring urging said arm in that direction of lateral translation in which said stop is effective to limit the lateral translation thereof, said spring being torsionally stressed and the ends thereof being fixed to said body portion and to said arm to swing said arm to inoperative position upon release of said latch means.

8. In a seaming mechanism having a Work-supporting surface, a resser-bar operating above said work-supporting surface, and a feeding mechanism including a feedwheel journaled on an axis beneath said work-supporting surface, a roller-presser mechanism comprising a body portion, means for securing said body portion to said presser-bar, an arm rotatably carried by said body portion on an axis parallel to the axis of said feed-wheel and being mounted for lateral translation relative to said body portion, a resser-roller journaled in said arm, releasable latch means for normally locking said arm against rotation in operative position, and adjustable means for determining the position of said arm in lateral translation, said adjustable means comprising an adjustable stop and a spring urging said arm in that direction of lateral translation in which said stop is efiective to limit the lateral translation thereof, said latch means being engaged and disengaged by the lateral translation and said spring urging said arm in that direction of lateral translation to engage said latch means and to lock said arm against rotation.

9. In a seaming machine having a longitudinally movable resser-bar, a roller-Presser mechanism comprising a body portion, means for securing said body portion to said presser-bar, a rod carried by said body portion for rotation and endwise translation, an arm fixed to said rod externally of said body portion, a spring acting between said rod and said body portion to urge said arm in lateral translation toward said body portion, adjustable stop means for limiting the action of said spring upon said arm, latch means to lock said arm in operative position against rotation relative to said body portion, said latch means being engaged and disengaged by said lateral translation, said spring acting to maintain said latch means engaged, and a presser-roller journaled in said arm.

10. In a seaming machine having a frame including a Work-supporting surface, seaming mechanism for operating upon work disposed upon said work-supporting surface, feeding mechanism for advancing Work across said work-supporting surface and past said seaming mechanism to define a line of feed and rollerresser mechanism for holding Work in engagement with said feeding mechanism, said roller-presser mechanism comprising a presser-bar slidably mounted in said frame, a body portion, means for securing said body portion to said resser-bar, an arm, means for mounting said arm on said body portion for rotation about an axis parallel to said Work-supporting surface and transverse to the line of feed and for lateral translation with respect to said body portion, and a resser-roller journaled in said arm on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said arm.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,682,333 Hart Aug. 28, 1928 1,864,136 Knox June 21, 1932 2,035,365 Clayton Mar. 24, 1936 2,073,224 Ross Mar. 9, 1937 2,109,451 Loomis et a1. Mar. 1, 1938 2,317,762 Hale Apr. 27, 1943 2,639,146 DArcy May 19, 1953 

